Improvement in ruffling attachments for sewing-machines



E. STEWART Rufiling Attachments for .Sewiqggffl'achines.

Patented March 11,

AM. mora-uruoammm c0. m',(ossamz's mucsss) 'varied, and the number ofstitches in each ward the needle converge so asto take a hold no bite;one or both of these may be serrated per one, and the serrated ends ofboth plates,

ITED-i STATES Q EDWARD STEWART, or

roar MADISON, IOWA.

Specification forming part of Letters Pat To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD STEWART, of Fort Madison, in the county ofLee and State of Iowa, have invented certain Improvements in Rufflingand Plaitin g Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following isa specification The nature of the invention consists in a novelcombination and arran gement of devices in the construction of a ruftleror plaiting attachment for sewing-machines, whereby the number of plaitsin a given distance may be fold may be adjusted with great accuracy.

In the accompanying drawing is represented an attachment adapted toplait, gather, or ruffie a piece of muslin or other like materialsingly, or to be sewed between two flat fabrics, or to one such only,and in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my attachment.Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same; and Fig. 3, a transversesection taken on the line w :v on Fig. 1.

The same letters occurin g on the several figures indicate like parts.

The feeder. of the plaiting, gathering, and ruffling attachment iscomposed of two metallic spring-platt s, 01/ I), the ends of which toonthe cloth between them and carry it forward, while in'its return motionit will have at the forward end. The lower plate b may, if desired, besomewhat shorter than the upwhich exert a holding gripe on the cloth,may be curved, their front ends being notched to permit the passage ofthe needle. These. spring-plates or gripcrs are attachedto areciprocating plate, A, which slides back and forth on the bedplate B,which latter is attached to the cloth-table of the machine. On thebed-plate B, in rear of the reciprocating plate A, is erected astandard, 0, for the support of the operating mechanism, which latterconsists of a ratchet-wheel, D, operated intermittently by a slottedlever, E, connected with the needle-bar of the machine, and whichlevercommunicates reciprocating motion to the plate A through the levers Gand H. G is a rigid part of the lever E, arranged about at ent No.136,676, dated March 11, 1873.

right angles thereto, and it enters a slot in the lever H, which isarranged transversely beneath the plate A, and is pivoted at the rear ofthe standard (3. The reciprocating motion is communicated to said plateA by the lever B, which strikes the pawl c in its forward motion, andthe adjustable arm a" in its backward motion. This arm 1" is pivoted tothe plate A, as at z, from which point on the upper side of said plate Aprojects an arm, 2', which engages with a segmental rack, y, by whichthe position of the arm 1" and the consequent throw of the plate A isregulated. To the plate A is attached the spring feeding or ruftlingplates at b, the forward end of one or both ,of which is notched wherethe needle passes. The ratchet-wheel D is operated by the vibration ofthe slotted lever E connected with the needle-bar through thespring-pawl p, and is retained during the upward motion of theneedle-bar by the spring-pawl q,- the pivoted levers n arranged on theface of said ratchet-wheel operate by means of projections 00 from theirface side. The piece t or feedregulator is pivoted in lugs on the plateA, and carries the pawl 11, through which the forward movement of theplate A is communicated, and it is held toward the ratchet-disk D withthe pawl v elevated by a spring. N ow, when these projections 00 come incontact with the back of the piece 1?, the pawl '0, through which theforward motion of the ruffler is communicated, is depressed, and theplates at b are moved forward. The number of plaits in a given distancemay be varied by the number of these lever projections a brought intouse during each revolution'of the disk D, the slotted lever E at theseveral notches of the ratchet-wheel between said projections 00operatin g the pawl without operating the plate A; but when it isdesired to makea stitch between each motion of the ruffler-feed, thevibrating piece t may be locked by the hook or button 8 being turnedover the front-edgepor- .tion of its bed u, as represented in dottedlines in Fig. 2, so that by using one, two, or all of the levers u, thenumber of stitches in each plait may be either three, six, or twelve, orany other number, according as the ratchetdisk D is divided on itsperiphery.

I am aware that ruffling attachments have been heretofore constructed inwhich the num- 2. The combination of the pawl 41 with the her ofstitches in each plait was variable; this, feed-regulator t andactuating-lever H, for optherefore, I do not claim, broadly; but erationas set forth.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by EDWARD STEWART. Letters Patent,is

1. The combination and arrangement of the Witnesses: levers n, providedwith lateral projections w, W. MORRIS SMITH, with the feed regulator 15,substantially as SYDNEY E. SMITH. shown and described.

